Vacuum cleaner



Feb. 24, 1925.

C. H.. BARR VACUUM CLEANER Filed Oct. 23, 1922 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNITEDA lSTATES CHARLES H. BARR, OIE LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

VACUUM Appncaaon'led october 23, 1922. serial No. 596,314.

To all Awhom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Bann, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Litchfield, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Vacuum lleaner. of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention has relation to vacuum cleaners and has to do particularly with an improvement in the construction of the intake nozzle and the manner of supporting the same from the surface to be cleaned.

In the common and accepted forms of vacuum cleaners, the intake opening of the suction nozzle is supported and maintained in uniformly spaced relation to the surface to be cleaned whereby a constant suction draft is always acting on the surface. It is therefore essential to adjust the spacing of the intake opening with respect to rugs or carpets of various thicknesses toobtain the maximum efficiency ofi the machine, and due to the fact that such adjustments of necessity are very delicate, it follows that only 'experienced operators obtain the best results.

It is, therefore, one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a vacuum cleaner which includes means for conn stantly maintaining the intake opening of the suction nozzle at theproper height for efficient cleaning. thereby eliminating the necessity of regulating the same to correspond to the surface to be cleaned.

As a further object the invention contemplates a vacuum cleaner which is supported from the surface to be cleaned in such a manner as to cause, during its operation, a variation in the size of the intake opening in order to subject the surface being cleaned to variable impulses or accelerations in the suction. 1

The inventionfurthermore contemplates a supporting means which prevents the lifting or displacement of rugs or carpets during the cleaning operation and which acts further to crimp paper to permit the suction draft to act upon the same for removing it from the surface.

As a still further `object the invention provides a vacuum cleaner Whichgreatly simplifiesl the construction by reducing the number of working parts to a minimum, due to the elimination of brushes, dr1`ve Wheels,

CLEANER.

beaters, or other elements which constitute parts of cleaners now on the market.

Furthermore the invention contemplates a' simplified, efficient, fool-proof, vacuum cleaner which is more easily handled than those now in general use, which accomplishes the work in a minimum of time and which facilitates the cleaning in corners and under objects.

lVith the above recited and other objects in View, the invention resides in thev novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that the right' is reserved to embodiments other than those `actually Aillustrated herein to'the full extent indicated by the general mean ing of the terms in which the claims areyexpressed In the drawing- Figure 1 is a fragmentaryside i"'clevation of a vacuum cleaner constructed'in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away and shown in section, and the same illustrating in full and dotted vlines the operating positions.

Fig. 2 is a front` view thereof,.parts be.- ingbroken away and shown in section.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, 10 designates the handle, 11 the motor housing, and 12 the fan case, which case and housing are rig`dly supported from the handle and house a section cre- 'ating means of any approved type. The nozzle 13 is rigidly attached to the fan case in any desired manner and is preferably of elongated cylindrical construction having a .central hollow boss 11i which connects with the fan case and establishes communication between the interior of the nozzle and the fan, the greater length of-said nozzle being disposed transversely to the path of travel of the cleaner. The nozzle is provided withv a transversely arranged intake opening 15 on the under side and is formed with aligned bearingbosses 16 in the end walls 17 in which the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 18 are journaled. A plurality of disks 19 are secured on the shaft 18 in transversely spaced relation to constitute supports for the rods or wires 20 arranged concentric to theaxle and parallel thereto to constitute in its entirety a bearing roller which extends slightly beyond the outer periphery of the nozzle and projects through the opening 15. In view of the fact that the rods or Wires 2O are spaced from each other circumferentially the periphery or bearing surface affords openings therethrough which allow at the same time for the free passage of air and dust therethrough while actingto prevent the picking up oflarge objects which might in' any way :tend to clog up or hinder the proper operation of the fan. In practice the lower'end of the device is directly supported from the surface over which it operates by the roller thereby disposing the lips or edges which define the opening 15 a given distancefrom the rug, carpet or other object to be cleanedl and eliminating the necessity of regulatingV the same for various kinds of carpets, rugs, or the like. Due to the rigidconnection of the handle with the fan case motor housing and nozzle, the roller when the device is in operation lwill function as a support or f mounting to permit of a longitudinal rocking of the nozzle whereby variation of the size of the intake opening will be edected to subject the surface to be cleaned to variable impulses. lThis action has been found by actual experiment to more effectively dislodge and remove the dust, dirt, or other foreign matter from the surface to be cleaned.

The roller when moving will further function tothrow out by a centrifugal force anything that may be picked up and cling to the inside thereof. It willbefu ther noted that the roller prevents the lifting of the carpet or rug from the floor to -any appreciable extent as the weight of the walls of the opening whereby upon operation of the device over the surface to be cleaned a longitudinal` rocking movement will be effected for varying the size of the `effective portion of the intake opening and imparting variable impulses to the suction draft, the periphery of said roller having openings therethrough. 4

2. A suction nozzle for vacuum cleaners comprising a casing having an intake opening, a roller mounted for turning movement within said nozzle with the periphery therewith said suction creating means, said nozzle comprising a cylindrical casing having-ff an intake opening at the lower portion of its periphery, a transverse shaft journaled in said casing, a plurality of longitudinally .spaced'disks -on said shaftl and a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced concentric rods carried by the periphery of the disks to constitute a foraminous roller, the periphery of which eX- tends through the intake opening and projectsA beyond the periphery of theV nozzle. casing in spaced relation to the side walls of the intake opening, whereby said roller serves to support the nozzle for movement on a surface which is'to be cleaned in spaced relation to the surface. fi 4. In combination, a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle provided with an intake opening through which a suction draft'moves, of a foraminous roller mounted in thenozzle and extending through the intake opening thereof for supporting the cleaner for longitudinal rocking movement upon the surface to be cleaned.

CHARLES H. BARR.A 

